DPP lawmakers defend students’ rights

STANDING UP:Yeh Yi-jin said the public should appreciate the students’ courage, adding that their criticism certainly did not amount to ‘contempt of the legislature’

By Chris Wang / Staff reporter

NTHU issued a press release yesterday, in which the school said it was disappointed at Chen’s comments and behavior. The school pulled the release from its Facebook page hours later after it was criticized.

Wang Dan (王丹), a Chinese dissident who was part of the student movement during China’s Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989 and who now teaches at NTHU, offered his support to the student protesters on his Facebook page.

Wang said he was astonished at the newspaper’s two-page coverage and its criticism of the students rather than the ministry’s misconduct.

“I’m wondering why society is so tolerant of authority, yet so critical of young people who participate in public affairs,” he said.

When reached for comment, the United Daily News said its coverage reflected the truth and that it would continue to publish stories in line with professional journalistic practices.